The present invention relates to telecommunications networks, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to developments in such networks suitable for adoption in 3GPP SAE/LTE or 4th generation (4G) mobile or cellular telecommunications networks that will be implemented in the future.
The operation and architecture of 2G (GSM), 2.5G (GPRS) and 3G (UMTS) mobile or cellular communications networks are generally well known and will not be described in detail herein. The relevant Standards Specifications are incorporated herein by reference. It is anticipated that SAE/LTE and 4G networks may provide the following advantages, compared to these known networks:    1. Support interactive multimedia services: teleconferencing, wireless Internet, etc.    2. Wider bandwidths, higher bit rates.    3. Global mobility and service portability.    4. Scalability of mobile networks.    and may be/have:    5. Entirely packet-switched networks.    6. All network elements are digital.    7. Higher bandwidths to provide multimedia services at lower cost.    8. Tight network security.